Slip rings are designed to transfer power to rotating structures with an electromechanical device mounted on a shaft, typically to a motor. In modern applications of centrifugal turbomachinery, active flow control may be required to transfer power directly to the blades or other aerodynamic surfaces to enhance the performance of these systems. However, transferring power directly to aerodynamic surfaces is not typically done because these aerodynamic surfaces are often situated a considerable distance from the turbomachine shaft, making it difficult to apply power to the aerodynamic surfaces without running wires along the centerplate, or some other integral part in the flow path of the turbomachine. This results in a change in the fluid dynamics and performance degradation of the turbomachine.
Consequently, it is desirable to transfer power directly to the blades and other aerodynamic surfaces from the slip ring without the presence of wires in the flow path. This would not only reduce performance degradation, but it would also allow for alternative designs that accommodate the supply of discontinuous pulsed power to the aerodynamic surfaces of turbomachines.